Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32211: Watching the Sun from Space: How Self-Calibrating Spectrophotometers Help Us Understand Solar Activity

The Sun might be 93 million miles away, but its influence is felt everywhere—from the warmth on your skin to the energy powering our planet. To understand the Sun better, especially its ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emissions, scientists launched the SOLar Auto-Calibrating EUV/UV Spectrophotometers (SolACES) to the International Space Station (ISS). Installed on the Columbus External Payload Facility, this instrument helps scientists monitor the Sun’s radiation and how it changes over time.

Why is this important? UV and EUV radiation from the Sun impact Earth’s upper atmosphere, affecting everything from satellite operations to radio communications and even climate patterns. By precisely measuring these radiation levels, SolACES helps improve our models of Earth’s atmosphere and the solar-terrestrial environment.

One unique feature of SolACES is its ability to self-calibrate in orbit, ensuring long-term accuracy in its measurements. Normally, instruments degrade over time due to space radiation, but SolACES includes internal calibration sources that allow it to maintain consistent data quality. That’s like having a built-in quality checker that works 24/7—very useful in the harsh environment of space.

Operated across many ISS expeditions, this European Space Agency (ESA) project has collected years of solar data. The insights gained help forecast space weather and better prepare satellites and astronauts for solar storms.

For students, this experiment offers a great example of how precise instruments and smart engineering can provide vital data to protect our technological world. It also highlights the international collaboration that makes space science possible.

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